Doppelganger
by Anesther
Summary: They are two completely different people and not bound by lives that are not their own. [Ava Ire, Odin Arrow]
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Wow, I haven't done proper fanfiction in such a long time... but the ship called. Kind of. I don't know where I'll be going with this. It's more of an exercise before I go back to other things (if you're one of my readers, you should know what I'm talking about but it involves another girl on fire /cough cough/). This fandom is freshest in my mind, though, so why not use it for a test run. Hope it's enjoyable!**

**None of this is canon. Just saying...'cause, ya know.**

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><p><em>Doppelganger<em>

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><p>Odin glances over his shoulder at the young girl, her body curled up in a corner. He puts the ship on autopilot, scratching the back of his neck. Crow and Raven have taken to bed already; the journey from TITAN's planet to home might not be too far but, in hindsight, it's still quite a distance.<p>

Ava sighs, worried about Maggie. They managed to find and take her with them, but Maggie had been less than welcoming. She's currently in another part of the spaceship, sleeping, thankfully. Ava thinks of dropping dead in the heavy blanket that sleep can provide. She yawns.

Odin clears his throat, "You can rest if you w-want."

Ava sniffs, rubbing her eyes, and she attempts to ward off the drowsiness by shaking her head. It doesn't work. She opens her mouth, unable to stifle another yawn.

"You're r-really stubborn." he says.

Ava sticks out her tongue.

He laughs—a quick rush of air, in spite of himself. He is uncomfortable with the desire that Pedri made before they joined together. Odin sighs, knowing that she's thinking about it too.

Maybe that's why she won't sleep. He peeps over at her again—slightly dark crescents are beneath her eyes, shoulders hunched forward.

Ava's head jerks down. She snorts a bit when she hastily catches herself. She pouts, groaning.

"Ava, go to sl-sleep."

"No."

Odin shakes his head, stretching in his seat, rolling back his shoulders, a couple of muscles popping. Ava winces before trying the same. The crick in her neck leaves and it's better, relaxing…

_No, no, no_.

Odin stands and her heart lurches, making his way over to her. She can feel it thumping, too quick—

He plops down in a lazy heap beside her. Odin blows air out his mouth in a whoosh. He reaches for his pipe out of habit, his fingers on the stem; he freezes, hand hovering. He doesn't have to smoke anymore. Pedri is part of him now…

Odin only began smoking to block out the demon haunting him. He didn't realize how much he actually liked the calm feeling he'd get. He sighs. Something else to get over. He decides to leave the pipe in his pocket. But without the scent of smoke, the distraction that it can provide, he's well aware of her body next to his, warm and inviting, though it shouldn't be.

That's, most likely, Pedri trying to make him feel attached to her. As much as he does rather like Ava, it's not in that way. Odin sums it up to Pedri being demanding; he decides to get this over with.

Odin lays back against the cushion of the seat, head lolling back onto the semi-soft space. He feels Ava scoot away. That's fine. They don't have to be that close for this to work…

Pedri prods him, he can feel it.

_Don't move in—it'll freak her out._

Odin scowls, turning to look at her. He finds her face a bright red, and he's almost a bit concerned. "Y-You okay?"

"No, I'm not," she states, crossing her arms, "I don't want to sleep next to you."

"Do I f-finally smell bad to you?"

"W-What?" she asks. Ava then chuckles, her shoulders losing a bit of their tension. That's good.

She looks down, brushing red strands from her face, tucking them behind her ear. Odin almost reaches out to pull it back to the front, run his fingers through the fire. He frowns. That's not good.

"It's just… awkward." she mumbles.

The boy agrees, nodding, hand beside his pocket. Fuck it. He pulls it out, lighter in hand, the flame dancing in his eyes as he places the substance into the bowl. Ava watches him drag a puff of the florem mortem into his mouth, letting the smoke rush out in a shock of purple. She extends her arm out, the smoke fleeting as dreams they want. But she feels the tendrils curl about her fingers, thin, almost intangible, but there.

Odin eyes her fingers splayed, palm open, moving through the haze he's become familiar with. He lets out another waft of dark smog, breath soft as she continues to shift her fingers through. Ava attempts to grip the floating plumes, her expression the same as it was in the woods, where she fiddled with his ring—thoughtful and calm; admittedly, then and now are peaceful moments in the whirlwind he knows as life.

Does she ever get to simply _be_ anything she wants to feel?

…This is not smart reasoning.

He has offered her to come with him many times, and she is with him now, but they are not even close acquaintances. They met by pure accident. There is no divine twist of fate to their joining, even if they are possessed by creatures that did all this on purpose. He had no real obligation to her and neither she to him. He knows she has a mind of her own, which is something he can respect—autonomy is important to him and she values it too, even when she was focused on rescuing her friend. Thus, if she leaves, and she definitely will eventually, he cannot tell her no.

Though Pedri will kill him before that happens.

His breath gently lets out several strands more of amethyst. She still has not grown bored with sifting through it.

Without thinking, his hand rises and pokes her forearm. She jumps slightly. "Sorry."

"S'o-okay," he murmurs, the taste of the flower stuck to his teeth.

Ava shifts in her spot, trying to get more comfortable. The smell is rather pleasant, which is strange since she never thought she'd like the scent of cinders. But it goes nicely with the aroma of pine that Odin has…

"So…you _do_ live in a forest?" she asks.

Odin glances at her sidelong, a bit startled by her question. He didn't think she cared to ask him more about his life. Sure, she asked about his sisters but it was random… this isn't necessary. "Y-Yeah,"

"What's that like?"

Odin thinks, chewing on the bit, "It's pretty n-nice."

"I've never been to a forest with pine trees," she tells him.

"No? You're m-missing out."

"Well, living on that corporate planet does that,"

"H-How'd you know wh-what it smells like then?"

"Pine-scented sprays," she answers, her hand motioning the act of shaking a can and pressing down the nozzle.

"We'll just ha-have to change that, then," he tells her, not liking the idea of one of his favorite places in the world stuffed in a cylindrical canister, as though it can be replicated.

Ava feels a shiver slide down her back, the feeling not unwelcome. She appreciates that he seems to want to include her in things, even if he wasn't the nicest person she met at the beginning. And that's putting it very, _very_ mildly.

She yawns again. This time Odin does the same.

"Why don't _you _sleep?" she questions, gaze returning to the hypnotic sway of violet vapor, bright eyes moving along to the source, the pipe smoldering. Ava eyes the shape of Odin's mouth, forming an 'O' to release the collected smoke. She keeps her stare on his face, waiting for a reply.

Another inhale; another exhale, "W-Waiting for you to sleep,"

Ava sighs, holding her head. Her eyes are closed and they don't want to open. "It's too weird."

"I'm n-not too enthusiastic about the results e-either."

"Don't want to be in my head?" Ava teases.

Odin's mouth tips upward at the corner, "I guess… minds sh-should be private, right?"

"Yeah…" she whispers, suddenly somnolent.

She knows that Wrathia would much like to reunite with her husband, even if it's not in the material world. Both of them had been separated for fifteen years so it was not impossible to comprehend their desire to see each other. Ava still found it a little perturbing that she and Odin had to be nearby for this to happen. The only way for other souls to communicate would be to sleep by the other. After what happened with Maggie, Ava is a bit apprehensive as to the outcome.

She turns to Odin; his eyes are shut, arms crossed over his chest, pipe still illuminated and giving smoke.

What would his mind be like?

She doesn't know enough about him to wonder.

Ava rests back, sleep at the farthest shore, though she gives her eyes a respite.

Surely his mind is better than hers—this amalgamation of thousands of drawers, ugly, crude and breaking, with thoughts she can remember and others she is afraid to unearth. She still can't believe they managed to get off TITAN's planet relatively safely. Odin had come out of nowhere, sisters in tow, of all people. Odin would've taken her alone if she hadn't pulled her hand back and shouted at him not to forget Maggie.

He'd let out an exasperated groan but did as she said, rushing to where the other girl had last been seen. In one swift movement, he'd tossed Maggie over his shoulder, Ava hastily explaining, and being cut off abruptly when he reached for her hand and ran with her at his side until they reached a ship.

"Ava, what the hell!" Maggie screeched, face twisted in anger.

Ava had held up her hands, trying to calm her down, "Maggie, I was only trying to help—"

"How would you know what could help anyone? I was fine where I was!"

"Maggie, please, I didn't want to leave you behind with TITAN."

"I wasn't with TITAN, you idiot! I was with Gil, who has done a lot more for me than you have,"

Ava could feel the tears threatening to sting her eyes but she held it in, looking at her feet. Why did she always have to feel shame when she did things? "I… just wanted you to be okay."

Maggie's arms coiled into bark and leaves, eyes narrowed, "Well, now you're not going to be,"

Ava snapped her head up, watching the arms lengthen out to her—

Odin tackled Maggie to the ground, gripping her limbs behind her.

"Odin, don't hurt her!" Ava yelled, the pair wrestling against each other on the hard floor. Maggie kicked out, trying to pull back from the boy, screaming and thrashing.

"Y-You're n-not going to do what you d-did last time!" Odin shouted.

Ava turned to find his sisters behind her, their faces perplexed and alert, each with weapons in hand.

Maggie's arms enlarged into trunks as wide as he was, her emotions a torrent in her mind. Furiously, she threw him off her, his body flying against the wall, the sound of bone on metal rattling through the space. Ava felt guilt and worry burn inside her chest, neck hot with searing lava.

"Maggie, stop!"

Ignoring her, Maggie raised the trunks high above her form, bringing them down onto his head—

His hands shot up, arms bending under the weight, but held still the blow. No one expected that.

What they expected even less was the way the trunks began to decay, leaves withering, curling in on themselves until they dryly hit the floor. Maggie screamed in terror, holding her arms against her chest, the bark recessing into flesh, her feet crunching on her own dead parts. She looked at the limbs in horrified confusion until they resembled human hands again.

She turned to face him, shaking, and voice unusually low, "How…"

Odin got to his feet, standing tall above her, "I'm n-not going to say it again. You either do as you're told or I'm abandoning you in the m-middle of space. You've c-caused a lot more trouble than you're worth. I'm fed up with it, and you're trying m-my patience at this point. You attempt to hurt _anyone_ again, and I'll do more than rot your arms."

Maggie simply stared at him. Everyone did.

He turned to his sisters, "Raven, Crow, t-take her to one of the cabins."

Without even quips on him ordering them around, they each took the green-haired girl by suddenly limp limbs.

As they left, Maggie looked over her shoulder, remarking, "And you said I'm a monster."

Ava had looked at him, his back to her as he stared out the window of the ship.

"Odin…"

He didn't look at her.

"When could you do that?"

He sighed. "Just re-recently."

She wrung her hands together, folding them into his jacket. She had thought of the strange symbols that moved on his body in the alleyway and she suddenly felt stupid.

"Do you have a spirit haunting you?"

Odin finally looked at Ava completely, expression one of surprised confusion, "Yeah… b-but we made this pact and now h-he's part of me."

"He? What's his name?"

"P-Pedri. And—"

"_Pedri?_"

Odin took a step back, "Y-Yes," Suddenly his eyes became slits, peering at her intently, "H-How do you know about him?"

"Oh…" Ava paled before turning a bright orange under his scrutiny. She folded her fingers together, "I… have his wife bonded to me."

Odin quirked a brow, breathing deeply in and out. "I s-see."

They were quiet for several moments, each absorbing the new information. Ava had thought she was incredibly lucky, for once in her life—not only did Maggie have a demon, but Odin did as well. Wrathia might not have use for Tuls but she would most certainly be pleased about her finding the host of her husband. Ava had almost brought that up when Odin had suddenly gone to sit in the seat closest to the piloting system. It obviously bothered him. Maybe he didn't like his demon either. Ava knew how that felt.

Ava walked over to him, staring at the distant planets that peppered the vast darkness. She couldn't find any words to say to him, and there was really nothing to offer that could console him, if that was even the type of assurance he needed. Ava sighed, to which he looked over at her.

"So y-your demon," he began, "Is th-that why you have those fire powers?"

Ava gave him her attention, "Uh, yeah. I still can't control it, as you've seen a couple times."

"With p-practice you'll get the ha-hang of it," Odin said, putting in a few coordinates manually.

She felt much better hearing that but then she scowled, narrowing her gaze, "Wait, if you just bonded with Pedri, how is that you could do what you did to Maggie like that?"

"A f-fluke," he answered breezily, "It wasn't a-all m-me."

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"He's…" Odin broke off, trying to find words, "V-Very protective of you."

Ava blinked, before she muttered, "Right… of course he would be."

Odin glanced at her askance, "When were you s-saddled with yours?"

"Birth."

"F-Fun," he quipped dryly.

"Yep. When did you get him?"

"I was a-about three,"

"That's pretty young,"

"Not as young as bi-birth,"

Ava hummed agreement, somewhat. But she can't help except to think how different this might be for others—Maggie and Odin had gotten Tuls and Pedri out of nowhere, seemingly after living normal lives. She had known Wrathia since forever. She, despite disliking Wrathia, had been used to her all of past and present existence. They did not. Were their adjustments dissimilar? She sighed.

"A-Ava,"

"Yes?"

"…I h-have to ask you something,"

Ava slowly rotated her head to him, "Okay,"

"Pedri, ah… w-wants to see his wife."

"Uh-huh…"

Odin coughed, his fingers moving up to massage his neck, "So. Is there a-anyway to do that?"

Ava felt the blood suddenly burn her cheeks, "No."

"You're l-lying."

"I don't have to tell you anything,"

"Alright, th-that's up to you. But it'll be a lot e-easier if you did."

Ava huffed, chewing the inside of her cheek. That's easy for him to say. "You wouldn't like it."

"It c-can't be that b-bad."

Ava swallowed, turning away from him. Odin edged closer, which caused her to further move away, suddenly too aware of his company. She's not exactly used to that sort of thing.

"Y-You act like it's something…perverted."

Ava whirled to face him, his form barely inches from hers; she lurched back hastily. "It's not perverted!"

His face slackened, unimpressed, "Then wh-what's the problem with i-it?"

Ava hurriedly pushed back the lava threatening to climb in her throat. "It's… well…"

Odin waited, propping his chin on his hand.

"We… have to, um… sleep together."

Odin's face suddenly turned an unobtrusive shade of purple, but it was still there, which showed he couldn't believe it either. Though bewilderment won out as the strongest emotion he showed, his voice managed to remain steady.

"W-What? Sleep together?"

"That's what I think triggers it; or causes it... I'd been thinking and, when I slept beside Maggie, I was able to get in her mind. I think that's how that works."

Odin gradually was blushing less, though violent hues still remained a bit. "Ah… well, if t-that's a-all—"

"What do you mean _that's all?_" Ava hissed.

Odin returned to a normal hue, with Ava continuing to burn a blazing orange, "We only have to b-be by each other when we sleep. That's n-not as bad as you m-made it seem. Relax, you're go-going to burn right through the f-floor."

"It's too weird!"

"At l-least it's not sex,"

"_Odin_!" she exclaimed.

"_Ava_!" he retorted.

The girl's face glowed hotter at that, her hands balling into fists as she glared steadily at him. Odin met her eyes just as easily, seemingly apathetic to her embarrassment; yet beneath the gaze she knew that he was enjoying this, the same way as before. _He was teasing her._

"You're such a jerk," she whispered.

"And you're a p-pain."

She glowered at him, his countenance challenging. Neither looked away.

The doors slid open, his sisters standing there. Odin and Ava both turned. She was a bit relieved by the intrusion, since it had begun to feel strange to stare at him like that.

"Odin, come here," the one without the bow in her hair said.

Getting up, he headed over to them, communicating quietly as Ava continued to sit there. He might say she was a pest but he could be cumbersome himself. Ava eyed the siblings over her shoulder, their whispers generally soft until one giggled—the one who did wear a bow—and Odin slapped the girl upside the head. Ava blinked, revolving in her seat. They argued a little more, weapons pointed at him. He didn't even bat an eyelash at. Finally he shooed them out, their voices ringing down the hallway.

He settled beside her and she couldn't help but be a bit fascinated with how he acted with his sisters. She never had the opportunity to have brothers or sisters—the closest she had considered was Maggie herself… the way he and the girls were together made a pang of longing suddenly constrict her chest.

She swallowed, clearing her throat, "What did they want?"

"J-Just telling me your friend's asleep."

Ava sighed, hand on the drawer to her other soul, "Oh, good."

He nodded, eyes set forward.

"What are your sisters' names?"

"C-Crow and Raven. Crow d-doesn't wear the bow," he added for her.

"Ah," Ava said. Then, "They seem nice."

He snorted, "They're f-frigging crazy."

Ava smirked, "They _must_ be related to you."

Odin glanced at her, surprised at her teasing before he smiled a bit, shaking his head.

"How long until we get to your home?"

She didn't see, as she was staring out the window to her right, but his face softened, "A co-couple hours."

They had been silent after that, until they felt the dragging weight of fatigue and here they were.

Ava sighs, breaking out of her reverie. She glimpses at her side, Odin's head bent down; the pipe no longer awake. His head slumps to the side, snoring quietly, his crossed arms slack.

She does not know why she gently takes the pipe from his lips and carefully places it behind his head on the cushion. She does not know why she moves closer to this stranger, his scent a comforting one, a feeling she never thought she'd associate with this boy. She does not know why she pulls his jacket tighter around her body, her heart a cacophony of noise in her ears, boldly placing her head beside his shoulder.

She tells herself she's cold, a flimsy lie.

She tells herself it's so their demons can meet, which is a half-lie, and twice as worse.

She stares at the trail of gooseflesh lighting up her skin, nervousness wracking inside her core. His breath is warm in her hair, a shudder threading down her spine, hitting nerves she wasn't aware of, settling at the base. His face rests snugly atop her crown, tucking her in the crook of his neck. She breathes forests she's never seen and smoke she's never tasted.

She thinks of how easy it'd be to find out the latter, then hastily buries the random thought into drawers, locking them behind other drawers and she won't be able to tell which one contains that notion.

She does not know why.

She blames her demon.

That's always easiest to do.

Sleep comes in a wash of sable colors.

Her demon eyes her curiously. Ava points at the darkness.

Wrathia doesn't need words. She flies, a fleeting light, into the space Ava will not follow.

She doesn't seek him out.

Her body might be by his, but their souls do not have to be—it's only the other two.

The loneliness is not as bad as the fear of someone seeing her psyche and rejecting it.

That she does know.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Where am I going with this? Who knows.**

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><p><em>Doppelganger<em>

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><p><em>II<em>

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><p>Odin's home planet was not what Ava thought it would be.<p>

It was much grander than she believed.

Maggie had not been impressed, though she never really was with anything much of these days. The girls spent their days apart, Maggie usually sulking off on her own, wanting Gil to come find her, though Ava was certain that wasn't going to happen at all.

Maggie didn't seek her out, though Ava wished she would. But her friend had always been the stubborn sort. Ava had been wracked with guilt for years in her old life, ever since the day their relationship crumbled to pieces. She couldn't blame Maggie for not wanting to be around her.

The silence Maggie gave her would be too painful; so because she wanted Maggie comfortable, and because she loved her still, Ava would keep her distance.

But a part of her—a moiety of her psyche she thought long buried by Wrathia—knew that this new life _needed _to be better than her last one. This was a chance, even if for a brief time, to find good in and around her.

It wasn't the least bit selfish.

She had to learn to care for herself.

The woods beckoned with the voice of a paramour, and there she went first to find a sense of belonging.

Ava took to wandering the forest, enthralled with the majesty of nature that she never got to experience. All they had were frail, weak gardens back at the school. Ava was treated fairly nicely by the denizens of this uncharted world, rather distant but polite; she didn't mind. While she would usually desire company of some sort, she found a tranquility in the woods she never thought she could feel.

The black spruce trees stood proud and tall, leading into denser areas, where she'd come to sloping, vibrant hills and the further along she went, she'd find the burrows of animals, which delighted her, especially when she came across one filled with rabbits. She didn't bother them, and once they realized she was no threat, they would venture out to watch her too. Being around them was enough.

For the first time in her new life, Ava believed she could be happy.

Ava sighs, mist leaving her lips in a puff of white. It has been several months since she came, the weather actually _changing _and she relished it. She might not like the cold much, but it felt so different out here that Ava didn't mind. She pulled up a frayed scarf up to her face. It scratched lightly, tickling her skin.

The stars are bright above her, twinkling, visible and no longer a canvas she would paint in her mind. The young girl hums to herself, serene.

A crack from behind alerts her to someone approaching. She jolts a bit.

"S-Sorry," Odin says.

"Oh!" she breathes out, smiling, "It's just you."

Odin smirks a little, squinting at her, "You're in a g-good mood."

"It's so nice out here!" she exclaims, throwing her arms above her head, "We rarely saw this at my other planet,"

Odin nods, enjoying the cold, briefly glancing up at the sky. "I'll h-head back then."

She looks up, "Why?"

"I wanted to make s-sure you were f-fine. And you're enjoying yourself, so I'd ra-rather not distu-u-urb you—"

"No, stay." she tells him, patting a patch of dirt.

Odin's face betrays the surprise he feels and, truth be told, she feels the same about herself.

Ava Ire was a shy girl of fifteen, could barely look at people without wanting walls to swallow her whole.

That girl was not completely gone—she had died, but returned a shadow set aflame.

A shadow that didn't mind other souls being near her the way she did in her past life. At least certain souls. Odin became one of them, and not only from sharing demons.

Ava knows, too, she is touched by his words. Odin, though, would do this sort of thing, and he didn't _have _to… she liked having a friend. She hadn't had a friendship in so long… Maggie had been close to her as children, but their relationship remained as tattered as the cloth wound about her neck.

Sadness settles upon her head, a shroud that briefly blinds her vision.

She tries not to remind herself too often about that.

_Take care of yourself._

It's not selfish.

But it's still hard.

Odin tilts his head, eyeing her mutely. Her sincerity is a welcome pace—since returning, having failed his mission, it seemed as though he had a harder time fitting at home than before. He did find her to be more tolerable than most people he'd meet and, after the months of getting used to her, he finds himself really looking forward to the rare instances they communicate.

Ava, he found, is the first person he could consider a friend.

Odin didn't think he could find it in himself to be close to someone outside of home. There was something in him that always felt it couldn't be around other people. Nor did he want to.

Which was strange, because he felt too much of an outcast in his home. He admired Olai, always had, but that fondness quickly stirred up inferiority in him as they grew older, searching for a purpose while stumbling in his brother's silhouette; Olai didn't have this speech impediment either…

And his sisters, though he loved and enjoyed taking care of them all, didn't respect him, plus, in truth, Raven and Crow didn't tend to care much of what he thinks.

His sisters looked to Olai—they all did.

Odin wasn't the type to want veneration from anyone outside immediate family.

But Ava had been different almost from the moment they started getting to know each other. It was nice…

Her eyes shine up at him. He sinks to his knees, taking the space she offered.

Ava grins. He can't help mustering up a smile of his own.

They stare up at the white poking holes through ink, awash with a calm stars never had to envy.

Ava tucks her gloved hands beneath her underarms, blowing out more fog that doesn't leave in an acidic smog. Odin props his body against the trunk they sit by, scanning for patterns that people searched and made for themselves, in a universe too vast to really understand; but they did it anyway.

"Do you k-know any constellations?" he asks, deciding some small talk would be fine.

Ava narrows her eyes at the sky, pursing her lips, "Um… no, I don't really know any."

He points a finger at a certain spot, drawing out invisible lines, "See th-there? That's Cygnus."

"Cygnus?" she tilts her head to find it better.

"Y-Yeah."

"The dots going down that way?"

"Mm-hmm. It sh-should look like a s-swan."

Ava's eyes widen, "Oh! That's what that is! What other ones are there?"

"Sirius is o-over there,"

"Serious?"

Odin smiles a bit, "R-Right that one's ki-kind of a homonym … it's sp-spelled S… Ugh, S-I-R…"

She waits patiently, and he flushes in gratitude.

"…I-U-S." he finishes.

"Ah…" she whispers in comprehension, "What does it look like?"

"I-It's also c-called the Dog Star," Odin marks out the paths with his fingertips.

Moments pass, his hands laying out creatures from heavens, her eyes taking in the sky with a sense of awe. Odin watches her expression, Ava leaning forward, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"I didn't know there was so much up there. Do they have any rabbits?"

Odin inclines his head down, "Rabbits?"

"Yeah, are there any up there like that?"

He scans the black, trying to remember. There probably is, or was, at one point in time but he can't recollect such a display.

"N-No. Nobody's m-made up a rabbit constellation. None th-that I can remem-ember anyway."

"Oh…"

"T-That doesn't mean you can't make one, you know," he suggests, noticing her crestfallen expression.

Ava stares at him as though he gave her the grandest epiphany, "I can?"

Odin is almost taken aback by how cute she looks. He licks chapped lips, pulling leather mitts further up his wrists, "The s-sky doesn't belong to anybody. Go for it."

Ava returns her gaze back up at the sky and its fireflies, trying to find images that could give her what she wanted. She finds none.

Rising to her full height, she walks several steps, as though she could get nearer. Several blinking stars connect in the form of ears but do not map out well for a body of any sort, not even a face. Crossing her arms, Ava continues to look for a shape.

Odin watches her quietly, chewing on the mouthpiece of his pipe. Soon the scent of florem mortem mingles with the frosty air, the smoke pungent. She paces slightly to the left, continuing to stare up.

Suddenly she turns to him, face shining gold and red in the night, "I did it!"

"Oh, g-great," he congratulates.

"Come here and look at it!" she says, hopping a bit in place.

He stands, dragging another puff of smoke into his mouth, letting it swirl around, a ghost on his tongue. He breathes out, "Where?"

Ava points up, "Right here, I got the ear and then it goes to the left—which is where it's facing—and it curls around and it even has a tail!"

Odin squints, trying to see what she sees, leaning far down to be at her height. He thinks he almost has it… "Point it o-out again,"

She moves to stand in front of him, strands of red brushing against his chin and nose, causing him to exhale; wisps of wine fan out before him, contrasting against the crimson. He takes a small step back, a little unnerved by the sudden wobble his heart did in his chest. More disturbed that he can't tell if it was all Pedri either.

"Right here, see?" she directs her fingers along the path, taking her time with carefully finding the right dots.

Odin blinks, "Ah, t-that's where it is,"

"You see it?" she turns to look at him, absolutely radiant in the dim night, skin glowing from satisfaction.

He meets her eyes, "Y-Yeah… I see it."

"What should I name it?"

Odin lets several rings of vapor out his mouth, "Y-You could name it an-anything,"

Ava ponders, putting her finger to her cheek. "What language are the other ones?"

"L-Latin,"

"Latin?"

"Re-Really old language people used to s-speak,"

"Do you know any Latin words for 'rabbit', by chance?"

He hums to himself, trying to conjure up a memory of something… "Lepus is o-one. I can't think of anything e-else,"

Ava purses her lips, "I don't like it,"

Odin peeks down at her, "Is i-it yours?"

"Huh?" she peers up at him questioningly, 'Course it's mine."

"Then g-give it any n-name you want. Don't worry about dead la-languages,"

Ava gives her attention to her creation, silently sifting through names that don't hurt—well enough for what she made; a name she knows exists but has no bad memories attached to it.

She murmurs, "Ophelia."

The boy blows out more dark smoke, "Huh… N-Never would've thought of that."

"Is it bad?" Ava wrings her hands.

Odin shakes his head, "If y-you like it, that's all th-that matters, right?"

"Sure but…"

"But?"

She glances down, "I… _want_ to know what you think."

Odin hears his demon laugh inside his core, and he'd strangle the bastard if he could, mocking him quietly in confines he can only find in dreams. He's grown closer to her than he thought. Something about this nettles him sorely, though he can't decide what it is right now.

Their gazes meet; he finds himself drowning in the sun, answering, "I think it s-suits your constellation perfect. Nice w-work, firefly."

Ava beams, flesh flushing with intense undertones of fire.

Letting the last flickers of the smolders in his pipe fade, he occasionally inspects her throughout the night, burning brighter than the stars she doesn't tear her gaze from.

* * *

><p>Ophelia (Greek):<em> help<em>


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Doing things during breaks~

* * *

><p>III<p>

* * *

><p>Quietly, Ava makes her to way to the living room of the Arrow residence, book in hand. The late mornings tend to be empty in their home—everyone is out doing their chores or taking a break from said chores. Odin and Olai left at dawn, to where she isn't sure. She had woken up around the same time, hearing their hushed voices through the door of the room she occupies. She lay there, simply listening to them before a knock on her door caused her to tense up.<p>

"Ava?"

Her heart hammering in her chest, she got up to open the door, Odin standing in the hallway, "Yes?"

"S-Sorry to wake you, b-but could you do some stuff around the house while we're out?"

She instantly woke up, "Oh, like what?"

"L-Little things, nothing major," he replied, still in a whisper. He pulled out a scrap of paper and handed it to her.

She read it over, "This is all? Not a problem,"

He smiled, pleased, "Th-Thanks. I'd ask m-my sisters but they have o-other stuff to do today, too,"

She shook her head, "No, I'd be glad to help out,"

With that, he bid her goodbye and she couldn't fall asleep after that. So she washed her face, dressed, and spent the entirety of the morning cleaning up their home, drawing water from a makeshift well and generally doing handyman work. And she felt great for it. It was nice to feel useful, to be relied on.

Sighing with satisfaction, Ava settles on their couch: there's a stain on the lower-left corner, one cushion is too springy, and it's worn from years of constant use. Even so, she enjoys it, finding it a good place to read.

She hears Raven and Crow chattering in the hall, their voices growing louder as they come closer to the living room. Before she knows it, they jump on top of the couch, causing it to creak and her to bounce in place.

"Hey, wha'cha doin'?" Raven asks.

"Reading," she answers.

Crow tilts her head, peering at the cover, "Isn't that one of Odin's books?"

"Yes, he's letting me borrow it," she answers, stiffening a little. He had told her a while back if she wanted to read anything, she was welcome to what little he possessed.

They grin, mirroring expressions perfectly, portraits of devious thought. Ava realizes what Odin means: it can be a bit creepy.

She changes the subject, "Is there something you two needed?"

"No," they echo, "Just bored,"

"Your brother had gone out,"

"Olai?" Crow asks, "Yeah, he tends to leave for a while. Did the dunderhead go with him too?"

Ava nods, "I don't know why you're always putting him down,"

Raven hunches over her knees, sniffing in disdain, "He's pretty stupid,"

"I think he's nice,"

"Yeah, to _you_." Crow says, stretching out her arms, ridding the kinks in the muscles.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, c'mon, Ava," she replies, "You're a cute girl staying with us and you really think our brother doesn't notice?"

Flushing a harsh crimson, hot all over, Ava screeches, "_What?_"

Raven giggles, "She really didn't notice! That's adorable!"

"Your brother doesn't like me like that!"

"That's what you think," the two girls reply, standing up together, a single entity of mischief, "But _we _know,"

Huffing, irritated and embarrassed, Ava shakes her head, "I came down here to read, not be verbally assaulted by you two,"

"If you wanted us to leave, you could've just asked, Ava," Crow tells her, looking smug.

"We'll leave you to your book," Raven adds, she and her sister exiting at last, laughing to themselves.

"Unbelievable," mutters Ava, pulling her knees to her chest, propping the book on her knees. She gently fiddles with the pages. She then attempts to read, trying to get back into the story. To no avail, she closes it in defeat, stroking the binding—it's falling apart, parts of the pages turning a weathered yellow.

Putting her head against the back of the couch, she feels her eyes closing, realizing she's tired.

Ava smacks her face. She doesn't want to go sleep and deal with Wrathia either. The horror of not finding peace in her own mind anymore is unbearable during times like this.

Giving up, Ava makes her way up the stairs, the fifth one making its signature creak, greeting her. At the top, she heads over to Odin's room, the air thick with his scent, and it's odd to think, but the room is comforting. When he's here, she doesn't dare to invade his privacy, or even visit him in his room. When he's out, though, she likes to be inside when seeking a reprieve. Not to stay for hours on end—that'd be creepy. Just a few minutes to collect her thoughts, since Odin's sisters don't find anything of interest in his room _unless _he's in there, and Olai keeps to his own place.

Ava heads over to his bookshelf, sliding her fingers down its craggy surface, having once been a strong shade of dark brown, now worn from years, the back of it faded to a softer hue from where patches of sun hit it. She really likes what he has in his room.

Placing his book back amongst the rest, she takes a look about, wondering if she forgot anything, seeing's how she cleaned in here a while ago, as well. Nope. Spotless. Good job, Ava!

Grinning to herself, the young girl leaves, deciding on the way down the steps that it'd be good to walk around.

Ava heads out of the Arrow home, the sunlight bright overhead. She heads into the woods, calm as she climbs up and over a fallen log, the earth rich in aroma. Gold filters through shifting green, dazzling her eyes, the veins translucent through the viridian.

She can't believe she's been here for that long. Winter flashed by, a whirl of white, and the next thing she knows the trees are growing out their leaves. Even so, it's still rather chilly. She should've brought a coat, but she feels alright at the moment, content. Content to be here. Among actual people, and not lonely.

Wrathia is not happy about it. It's taking too long.

Sighing, Ava wonders what she's going to have to do about this whole situation. Stopping in her tracks, she decides to not stall, as that's what she's been doing this whole time, in a way.

Rushing back, before she loses the nerve, Ava seeks out where Maggie has been staying. Entering the building, she looks around for assistance. Finding no one, Ava decides to wing it and look for her former friend on her own.

Upon discovering she's not there, Ava goes back out, trying to think of the likeliest places where Maggie could be at. The market? Maybe. The pub? No…she doesn't think so.

"Ugh, it's you,"

Ava turns around, believing herself lucky, "Maggie! There you are,"

Maggie's eyes narrow, raising a brow, "What do you want now?"

"I wanted to talk to you,"

"Nah," replies Maggie, brushing back her hair, yawning into one hand, the other holding a full bag.

"Did you go shopping?"

"Maybe, not that it's any of your business."

Ava's heart falters, "Maggie, um… could we talk though, really?"

"I finished my last job for today, and now all I wanna do is crash,"

"But I really—"

"No, I'm heading over to the crapshack I'm stuck in—"

"Will you shut up for once and just listen to me!?" Ava shouts, seething red, sclera flashing yellow.

Maggie stares at her, affronted. Ava almost puts her hand to her mouth, ashamed for the outburst and the demand. Maggie doesn't owe her anything.

The other girl continues to stare at her, crossing her arms before looking away, "You're sticking up for yourself. I used to tell you to do that…"

Ava blinks, surprised.

Maggie blows out air in exasperation, "Fine, I'll let you talk to me for a minute or whatever,"

"Thank you," says Ava, grateful.

"Well, shoot,"

"It's about…our demons,"

"What about 'em?"

"Well, I wanted to know if you'd help me with something."

"I got my own agenda with Tuls."

"I know, but it'll fit with yours."

Maggie purses her lips, blinking slowly, "I doubt that,"

"I know…that things aren't the same between us, but—"

Maggie steps forward, finger jabbing into Ava's shoulder, "You're damn right they're not the same, and they're not ever going to be."

"I know!" shouts Ava, "B-But the thing is— I— We… we need to work together for this,"

"Tuls and I are doing fine. What does your demon want to do with us?"

Biting her lip, Ava inhales one large breath, "We need you to take down TITAN."

Eyes wide, Maggie stares at Ava in disbelief, "Take down _TITAN?_ Is your ghost-person-thing serious?"

"I know that it's hard to believe, but it'd be extremely helpful to have you—"

"There's no way I'm gonna help out with something like that! You're asking me to _die_?"

Ava's stomach drops, a cold stone weighing her down; Maggie's eyes glint with malice.

_That wasn't what I meant to do—_

"No! No, that's not it at all!"

"This conversation is over. That's a suicide mission and you can forget it, you're fucking crazy, demon or no,"

"Maggie wait—"

The other girl is already running in the other direction, moving as quick as she can. Defeat TITAN—that's insane! She knew Ava was nuts but… no way.

Under great duress, Ava falls to her knees, not paying attention to the patrons who walk past, completely deflated of any hope that Maggie might agree to accompany her. And it's not as if she could blame her. Maggie is under no obligation to help her—not like the times before, where Maggie would do anything to protect her, because they were friends and their friendship had been the most important relationship in their lives.

Until Wrathia.

Until… Ava, herself, got in the way.

Choking back tears, morose, dejected, Ava stands, making her way back to the home of the Arrows. The sun is already low on the horizon, harsh golds and the bloodiest of reds marring the surface of the earth. She doesn't look. Upon entering the house, she hears Olai's voice talking to his sisters. He walks out of their kitchen space, pausing when he sees her.

"Hey there,"

"Hello,"

"We have food if you want some,"

She shakes her head, "I'm not really hungry, but thank you,"

Olai steps forward, crossing the distance between them, "You okay, kid? You look pretty pale,"

"I'm just feeling a bit sick, I think. It's nothing to be worried about,"

"Alright, well, go and get some rest then."

"Thanks," she says, nodding to him, "I appreciate all you've done for me, really,"

"Sure, no problem. Just take it easy,"

Ava heads up to her room, plopping on top of the bed, too tired to even remove her shoes. Wearily, she rotates, grabbing the pillow and burying her face into the fabric. She shouldn't cry.

But she can't help it.

It's lonely.

She's becoming her own black hole, extinguishing her own light, because that's all she's good at.

Being nothing and doing nothing.

A knock on the door disturbs her thoughts.

"Ava?"

It's morning.

Blankly, she turns to look outside. No. It's dark outside.

Rising groggily, wiping her eyes, she slowly opens the door, Odin in the hallway. Is she sure it isn't morning? A chance to repeat the day?

"Hey," she greets, voice hoarse.

Odin tilts his head, "Y-You okay?"

She takes a deep breath, "Not really. And… I kind of want to be alone right now."

"Yeah, I g-get that. Just came to bring you th-these,"

She notices the pills faintly glinting in the dim light, a glass of water in the other, "Medicine?"

"O-Olai said you weren't feeling w-well. So I b-brought you this,"

Ava's stomach twists, "I couldn't. You don't have enough to spare."

"T-Take it; its fine,"

She keeps her hands to herself. Sighing, he reaches out, pushing the glass toward her, causing her to have no choice except to stop it from dropping; with that, he begins prying open her other hand, placing them into her palm and curling them around the objects. She flushes, illuminating the dark further, and his eyes gleam across from her.

"Don't be so st-stubborn,"

"I'm not stubborn," she hisses.

"Sure, y-you're not," he agrees, rubbing the back of his neck before yawning, "Well, I'm b-beat. I'll see you t-tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah…"

He begins to walk along to his room, two doors from hers. Ava's hand closes tighter around the pills.

"Odin?"

"Hmm?" he glances over his shoulder.

"Thanks,"

Inclining his head, he smiles a little before continuing on, shutting the door behind him. She stands in place a little more.

He didn't even question her need for space.

Ava returns to her bed, licking her lips. She drops the pills into her mouth, downing them with water. She didn't realize how thirsty she was, so she finished the glass, setting it on the dresser. Pulling back the covers, she finally removes the shoes, deciding to forgo changing into more appropriate sleep attire.

He's…considerate, when he wants to be.

_"Yeah, to _you_."_

Slumber arrives fast.

She opens her eyes, her body splayed on a drawer, magma spilling from one corner.

She misses actually sleeping.

"Ava!" a harsh voice shrilly cries out.

She misses being alone.


End file.
